Occupy Richmond protesters celebrate Earth Day, criticize Chevron

Protesters marched from the Richmond BART station on Friday to celebrate Earth Day and protest Chevron.

Around two hundred people gathered Friday at the Richmond BART for a rally in celebration of Earth Day. During the event, organized by Occupy Richmond, protestors carried signs, sang songs and chanted slogans against Chevron.

Earth Day, meant to create awareness and appreciated of our planet’s natural environment, is celebrated in more than 175 countries. The first Earth Day was observed in San Francisco on March 21, 1970. In 2009, the United Nations officially made it a global event.

After being addressed by Mayor Gayle MacLaughlin and several local activists, protestors marched along Macdonaled Avenue to the civic center, where the rally continued. Jose Rivera, one of the organizers, said the original plan was to go to the Chevron refinery. “But we decided to organize a smaller march. We’ll first create momentum and awareness before we go there,” he said.